Alternatives to Capitalism by Robin Hahnel & Erik Olin Wright

Author:Robin Hahnel & Erik Olin Wright
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Verso Books

3. Associational Democracy

Associational democracy is a term that covers a wide range of institutional devices through which collective associations in civil society directly participate in various kinds of governance activities, usually along with state agencies. The most familiar form of this is probably the tripartite neo-corporatist arrangements in some social democratic societies in which organized labor, employers’ associations, and the state bargain over various kinds of economic regulations, especially concerning the labor market and employment relations. Associational democracy can be extended to many other domains, for example watershed councils which bring together civic associations, environmental groups, developers, and state agencies to regulate ecosystems; or health councils involving medical associations, community organizations, and public health officials to plan various aspects of health care. To the extent that the associations involved are internally democratic and representative of interests in civil society, and the decision-making process in which they are engaged is open and deliberative, rather than heavily manipulated by elites and the state, then, associational democracy can contribute to social empowerment.

Figure 7

Social Democracy II: Associational Democracy

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